


Duty (Obi-Wan Kenobi)

by thespareoom



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Coruscant (Star Wars), F/M, Jedi Reader, Jedi Temple (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:13:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25492168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thespareoom/pseuds/thespareoom
Summary: Frustrated with the direction of the war after a recent mission, the reader’s meditation by the lake gets interrupted by her oldest friend.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 78





	Duty (Obi-Wan Kenobi)

**Author's Note:**

> I first read about the lake in Jude Watson’s *Jedi Quest* series, which you should all read, and it’s lived in my head ever since. Hope you enjoy!

You gently set the ship down and let out a deep breath, resting your head on the dash. Missions these days had become increasingly taxing. The endless war, traveling all over the galaxy, it all felt neverending. And what was being accomplished? Somedays you struggled to find a satisfying answer.  
You knew the Council would want to debrief as soon as you got back. Master Windu had sent you a comm to tell you as much on your descent into Coruscant. That could wait, though. The Council may not think so, but you had decided to overrule them. You left the ship and headed straight to the heart of the Temple. A few friends and students tried to grab your attention as you walked, but your singular focus on finding a moment of peace for yourself kept you from stopping. Not that brushing quickly through the halls was exactly unusual for you. You’d always been in a hurry.  
You quickened your pace, breaking into a jog as you approached your favorite spot in the Temple: the lake. Stepping out of your boots, you walked up to the shore and stepped into the shallow water. Little waves rippled softly, barely coming halfway up your feet.  
The lake was empty, like it often was these days. When you were a youngling, the lake was always bustling with activity. Other younglings swimming in the water, older masters meditating on the beach. The Temple in general usually felt hollow now. Your home was often empty of the people you loved most, all because of the war.  
You took a deep breath in and pushed it out before retreating from the edge of the water. Taking off your cloak, you sat down in the sand, crossing your legs beneath you, and closed your eyes. Immediately, peace and calmness surrounded you, quieting your thoughts. Meditating by the lake never failed to slow you down and deepen your connection to the Force.  
You breathe in, breathe out.  
Somehow, you never quite understood how, there was always a breeze blowing around the lake, despite it being located in the center of the Temple. You reached out and listened to each tiny sound that made this place so wonderful. The waterfall churning quietly in the distance, the leaves rustling against each other in the wind. You placed your hands against the earth and felt the warm grains of sand beneath your fingers. Mist blew off the water against your cheeks.  
You heard footsteps slowly padding towards you from behind. Someone coming to check on you, surely. You knew you should speak to the Council, as Master Windu had requested of you, but you couldn’t seem to make yourself get up. You just needed some time alone, to decompress, to process and prepare for this meeting. Some would accuse you of being selfish. You would counter that the Jedi should do more to take care of themselves. It would undeniably enable them to better serve others. But that was an argument for another time. The owner of these footsteps would never say you were selfish. You’d know the sound of his walk anywhere, and Obi-Wan Kenobi would never judge you.  
He sat himself down gingerly beside you, your knees a few inches apart. You kept your eyes closed, faced towards the water, and tried to keep your focus.  
“You’re wanted in the Council chamber,” he said softly after a minute had passed.  
“I’m a little tied up at the moment,” you replied, eyes still closed.  
“You’re so difficult,” he sighed, but you could tell he didn’t really mind.  
You lapsed back into silence but not an uncomfortable one. Obi-Wan had never made you feel bad for not being an overly friendly or expressive person. You had grown up together. He knew you. He understood you. After a few minutes, he spoke again.  
“Do you remember the first time we met?” he asked.  
“No,” you frowned, turning to look at him at last. “I don’t really remember a time when I didn’t know you.”  
“Okay,” he replied with a slight chuckle, “I’ll rephrase. Do you remember when we first became friends?”  
Now that, you had clear memory of.  
“Of course I do.”  
“Remind me,” he grinned, a little sheepishly.  
“We were sitting right about here, on the lakeshore,” you recalled, looking around, lost in the memory.  
\-------------------------  
You were both around eight years old and younglings in the Order. Despite having lived your entire life in the Temple, it still didn’t quite feel like home. You couldn’t remember life before the Jedi, your family or culture, but still, you felt like you were missing something. Nobody seemed to really understand that, didn’t seem to understand you. You were a reserved and independent child and didn’t mind spending time alone. But everyone else seemed to have it all figured out. It made you feel small.  
Back then, Obi-Wan was a bit of a troublemaker. A massive troublemaker, to be honest. He was strong-willed and inquisitive, much to the chagrin of the Masters tasked with teaching him. You’d trained with him before, obviously, being in the same classes. He already showed great skill and connection to the Force. You knew he was impatient and preferred animals to people, but you weren’t friends. Not really, not yet.  
One day, he plopped down unannounced next to you at your favorite spot at the lake. You spent a lot of afternoons here, observing the others and enjoying the breeze. He said nothing, just pressed a small stone into your hand without looking at you. It was deep blue in color with streaks of green running throughout. It reminded you of the colors of the lake, deep and complex.  
You shot him a suspicious glance, but he wasn’t looking at you.  
“Did you steal this?” you asked. He also was known for his pranks.  
Obi-Wan just shook his head, still not meeting your gaze.  
You sat in silence for a while, wondering what to do with his quiet demeanor, a sharp contrast for his usual boisterous behavior. He was normally so sure of himself. But you quickly decided it doesn’t matter. You wanted friendship, so you moved past it.  
“Did you see Master Plo trip during training yesterday?” you said to the dirt, casting a nervous glance his way.  
His face breaks into a cheeky smirk as he looks over at you. “Yeah, he really screeched as he fell down.”  
\--------------------------  
“We spent the rest of the day gossipping on the beach,” you say with a laugh. “And you’ve been stuck with me ever since.” You flashed him a smile that he didn’t return.  
“What happened today?” His eyes were full of concern and care so intense you looked away from him.  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you replied, sharper than you intended. You looked away from him, back out at the water.  
Obi-Wan hesitated only for a moment before placing his hand lightly on your knee. “You would only hide out here if something was bothering you.”  
More silence.  
“You’ve never told me where that stone came from,” you suddenly realized, trying to redirect the conversation. You carried it with you everywhere you went but hadn’t thought about the memory of him giving it to you in years. You looked over at him and noticed there was a bit of color in his cheeks.  
“I made it for you,” he said under his breath, dropping his hand off your knee. “I found it in the lower levels when I was wandering around one day. Qui-Gon taught me how to polish stones after he saw me with it. It reminded me of you.”  
You sit back, kind of stunned. How had you been friends for nearly thirty years and never asked him about this before?  
“Why would it make you think of me?” you questioned, still dumbfounded. “You didn’t even know me then.”  
“I don’t know,” he shrugged, staring at his feet. “I just picked it up and thought it looked like it belonged with you. It was bold and unique, just like you. I liked that you questioned things, albeit a little quieter than I did. It drew me to you. I liked that you didn’t accept teachings without interrogating them for yourself. It made me feel less alone.”  
His sincerity astonished you. He had always been more likely to throw out a joke than a compliment. As devoted as he was to the Code now, as you both were, you often forgot that there was a time when he had struggled, just like you had. Disarmed by his openness, you surprised even yourself by reaching out and winding his fingers through yours. His skin felt warm and rough against your own. Something about holding this small piece of him made you feel more whole, like returning home.  
“What happened today?” he asked again, staring at your hands lying between you. “I could sense your anguish from the moment you returned.”  
“Force, nothing in particular,” you sighed. “The mission was fine. I just… I wonder sometimes what we’re doing. It feels like the Jedi are constantly fighting all these battles across the galaxy without any strategy, without purpose. I remember being a youngling, I couldn’t wait to be a Master, to travel the galaxy, protecting the innocent. But now?” You looked up at him. “How do we decide when this all ends? Jedi are supposed to keep the peace, but everywhere I look, all I see is chaos.”  
Obi-Wan brought your hand up to his face and brushed his lips lightly across your knuckles. Your breath caught in your chest at the tenderness of his touch.  
“I don’t really have an answer,” he whispered into your skin. “I believe we are fighting to maintain democracy and freedom in the galaxy. I have to. It’s what I’ve devoted my life to.”  
You let go of him and pulled the stone out of your robe. You turned it over and over in your hand, a habit built over the years of carrying it with you. Feeling its weight in your hand always helped you think. It reminded you of who you were.  
Obi-Wan scooted closer to you and pulled you into his chest, arms looped tentatively around your waist. His chin rested on your shoulder, his beard scratching gently against your neck as he looked over you at the stone in your hand. Your cheeks burned at the feeling of his skin on yours, but you leaned into him all the same. In all your years of friendship, you had never been this close before.  
“I’m glad you’ve always kept this,” he whispered. “Makes me feel like some part of me is always with you.”  
You turned to look at him and found in his eyes, written all over his face, everything he never needed to say. That he loved you, that he always had. That he wouldn’t say it because you were Jedi. There was nothing to be done. You left plenty unsaid as well. That you meditated here because it reminded you of him. That his friendship had kept you from leaving the Order when you were young. That you loved him too.  
He brought his hand up to the side of your face and softly stroked your cheek with the pad of his thumb. And that’s how you sat, looking at each other. Time slowed, the seconds drew out, and it was just the two of you, together.  
And then the moment ended.  
With a sigh, he slid back and stood, offering you a hand. You took it, letting your fingers linger a little longer than necessary after he pulled you up. He was still so close. You could see every fleck of red in his beard, the silver that had started to streak through his hair. Without thinking, you reached out to brush a few strands out of his face. He caught your hand and pressed his lips into your fingers before backing away.  
“We’d better get to the Council debriefing,” he said softly, searching your face. You gave a small nod in return. With one final glance back at the lake, you walked towards the Council chambers, doing your best to push your doubts out of your head. Regardless of how you felt, about the mission, about your oldest friend, you had a duty to fulfill. After all, you are a Jedi.


End file.
